Darkest Flame

“Well,” Rhi said with a soft whistle. “That’s something I’ve not seen before.”

 

 

Denae started toward Kellan only to have Phelan hold her back.

 

“Nay, lass,” he said softly. “If you go to him now, everything the Kings have done today will be for naught as the Dark Fae will focus on you.”

 

Denae realized that even though Kellan might have wanted a fight because Taraeth touched her, he participated in the battle to keep the Darks’ attention off her.

 

She turned to Rhi. “Can you get me out of here?”

 

Rhi’s silver eyes turned to her as she slowly shook her head. “I used too much of my magic today staying veiled and then carting off the Dark Ones so you could remain hidden.”

 

Damn. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

 

“He’s not moving,” Denae told Phelan as she stared at Kellan.

 

The Warrior’s hold refused to loosen. “The only thing that can kill him is another Dragon King. There’s no need to worry, lass.”

 

As if waiting for Phelan’s words, Kellan stirred and lifted his head before his dragon form got to his feet and stood side by side with the yellow one.

 

The amber dragon dropped out of the sky to stand beside Kellan, and the burnt orange dragon flew down to stand beside the yellow one.

 

The sight of all four dragons, their bodies immense, their scales shining in the sun, was surreal. She got her first good look at Kellan, and she was duly impressed.

 

His metallic bronze scales were the same vivid shade on his back as they were on his stomach. They gleamed as if polished, the sunlight winking off the scales.

 

His white eyes were like beams of light they were so pale in his large head. Two large horns extended backward from his forehead. What looked like a spiky membrane ran from the base of his skull down his back to the tip of his long tail.

 

He was stunning and terrifying all at the same time. And she couldn’t get enough of him.

 

“There is bad blood between humans and Kings,” Rhi said from Denae’s other side.

 

Denae glanced at the Light Fae, wondering when she had moved.

 

“Kellan’s hatred runs deep. Or maybe not anymore,” Rhi said with a kind smile as she looked at Denae. “Tell him what you think of him in dragon form. It’s important to them.”

 

“And you know this how?” Phelan asked.

 

Rhi tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. “Keep asking, stud. You might get an answer someday.”

 

Denae took a step back farther into the grove of trees, and this time Phelan released his hold. She leaned against a tree with the sword still held in her right hand while she watched the four Dragon Kings being pelted with magic from the dwindling forces of Taraeth’s army.

 

Oddly, Denae couldn’t find Taraeth anywhere on the battlefield. She started to push away from the tree when a hand clamped over her mouth.

 

“Make a sound and I’ll slit your throat were you stand,” Taraeth whispered in her ear with his Irish accent.

 

Denae’s heart pounded against her ribs like a drum. Fear, soul-gripping, heart-stopping fear, made her blood run like ice in her veins. Taraeth had her. Again.

 

She promised herself never to have such fear consume her again, and yet here she was. Denae had allowed herself to believe that she would never be in a Dark Fae’s clutches again. As if tromping through the monster-infested, foul-smelling tunnels to get free wasn’t enough.

 

“You’re going to come with me,” he said.

 

She shook her head as much as she could with his hand over her mouth and the tree behind her.

 

“If you want me to allow Kellan to live, you will.”

 

Denae nearly laughed out loud. Taraeth made a mistake in threatening Kellan because of two things: Kellan was immortal, only to be killed by another Dragon King … and she had Rhi’s sword.

 

Whatever distress and anxiety she had from being held by the Dark leader evaporated into nothing. He was just another asshole with a god complex. And she had the means to stop him as she had so many others.

 

She gave a quick nod of acceptance.

 

“I knew you were a smart girl. I’ll make you happy, little human. Just you wait and see. I’m going to take my hand away. Not a sound, remember.”

 

He waited for her to nod again.

 

Then he continued, “We’ll go back through the doorway. All your troubles with MI5 will cease. There’ll be nothing to worry your pretty head about. I’ll take it all away.”

 

Denae’s eyes were on Kellan, praying he didn’t look her way, as she slumped weakly against the tree. She had a good plan.

 

“Exactly,” Taraeth whispered happily. “No more fighting the inevitable. Even had you made it away today, I’d have found you again. You’re too tempting of a morsel, little human.”

 

He slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth, and when she didn’t make a sound, Taraeth reached for her. Denae whirled around, bringing the sword up to clutch it with both hands.